12. But concerning true
patience, worthy of the name of this virtue, whence it is to be
had, must now be inquired. For there are some26502650Pelagians who attribute it to the strength
of the human will, not which it hath by Divine assistance, but
which it hath of free-will. Now this error is a proud one: for it
is the error of them which abound, of whom it is said in the Psalm,
“A scornful reproof to them which abound, and a despising to the
proud.”26512651Ps. cxxiii. 4 It is not
therefore that “patience of the poor” which “perisheth not
forever.”26522652Ps. ix. 18 For these
poor receive it from that Rich One, to Whom is said, “My God art
Thou, because my goods Thou needest not:”26532653Ps. xvi. 2 of Whom is “every good gift, and
every perfect gift;”26542654James i. 17 to Whom crieth the needy and the
poor, and in asking, seeking, knocking, saith, “My God, deliver
me from the hand of the sinner, and from the hand of the lawless
and unjust: because Thou art my patience, O Lord, my hope from my
youth up.”26552655Ps. lxxi. 4, 5 But these
which abound, and disdain to be in want before God, lest they
receive of Him true patience, they which glory in their own false
patience, seek to “confound the counsel of the poor, because the
Lord is his hope.”26562656Ps. xiv. 6 Nor do they regard, seeing they
are men, and attribute so much to their own, that is, to the human
will, that they run into that which is written, “Cursed is every
one who putteth his hope in man.”26572657Jer. xvii. 5 Whence even if it chance them that
they do bear up under any hardships or difficulties, either that
they may not displease men, or that they may not suffer worse, or
in self-pleasing and love of their own presumption, do with most
proud will bear up under these same, it is meet that concerning
patience this be said unto them, which concerning wisdom the
blessed Apostle James saith, “This wisdom cometh not from above,
but is earthly, animal, devilish.”26582658James iii. 15 For why may there not be a false
patience of the proud, as there is a false wisdom of the proud? But
from Whom cometh true wisdom, from Him cometh also true patience.
For to Him singeth that poor in spirit, “Unto God is my soul
subjected, because from Him is my patience.”26592659Ps. lxii. 5